Tobirama Senju
was the of Konohagakure. He hails from the Senju clan, who, along with the Uchiha clan, founded the first shinobi village: Konoha. During his reign, Tobirama was accredited as the Hokage that developed the village's organisational system as well as some of its infrastructure. Background Tobirama was a member of the Senju clan and along with his older brother Hashirama, both they, and their younger brothers Kawarama, and Itama were the sons of Butsuma Senju. As a child, Tobirama grew up in the Warring States Period where he became a shinobi of his clan. One day, he attended the burial of Kawarama, and several other of his clansmen alongside his father and siblings. Hashirama later ended up in an altercation with his father about the senseless killing of innocent children. This led to his father almost striking him again, but Tobirama intervened. Later, as the three siblings met up, they spoke of peace for the future and Tobirama stated his opinion about ending the conflict by giving the shinobi a code of conduct to stop the endless killing. He later admonished Itama for his way of thinking which sounded a great deal like the way the adults thought. Some time later, Itama was killed on the battlefield.Naruto chapter 622 Some time after this, Tobirama was tasked by his father to find out where Hashirama was disappearing to. When Hashirama returned from one of these extended leaves of absence, Tobirama confronted him, informing him that their father requested to speak with him. When Hashirama questioned how Butsuma knew that he was meeting with Madara, Tobirama pointed out that he had tracked him down using his sensory abilities, which were far superior to that of Hashirama. He would later accompany his father to where Hashirama met up with Madara; here they were confronted by Tajima and Izuna Uchiha, the latter of whom Tobirama acknowledged by name.Naruto chapter 623, pages 11, 16-17 As Tobirama and Izuna clashed, unbeknownst to Tobirama, Tajima prepared to land a would-be fatal attack on him, which was deflected by Hashirama who returned to the battlefield. Shocked by this, the two sides reached an impasse, and Tobirama listened on as Madara turned down Hashirama's offer to broker peace between the two. As time went by and the battles between the two clans continued, on one of these occasions, Tobirama was able to mortally wound Izuna, forcing Madara to retreat from the battlefield with his wounded brother. The next time the Senju brothers encountered Madara again, he informed them that Izuna had succumbed to his injuries and had left him his eyes to continue protecting the clan. Despite revealing that he had acquired the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Madara was still defeated. As Tobirama was about to deliver the final blow, he was stopped by his brother who still wanted to seek peace. However, the jaded Uchiha noted that the price Hashirama had to pay for the Uchiha to regain his trust was either that Hashirama had to kill himself, or his brother.Naruto chapter 624 Decrying Madara as a crazed person, Tobirama questioned whether or not his brother intended to kill him. However, Tobirama was shocked when Hashirama — fully intent on going through with this — prepared to kill himself, but not before telling everyone present to swear that the feud between Senju and Uchiha would end. Though the act was stopped by Madara, and Tobirama later watched on as, Hashirama struck a peace treaty with the Uchiha and its then-leader Madara Uchiha and with Konohagakure's creation following soon after.Naruto chapter 399, page 6, Tobirama never became any less wary of Madara for his actions, and the other Uchiha by extension. After retrieving his brother from what would become the Hokage Monument — notably sparing no word of greeting for, nor even acknowledging Madara — and hearing of the position of Hokage and his brother's intent to give it to the Uchiha, Tobirama noted that Hashirama could not arbitrarily make unilateral decisions like their father had, and that things had to be discussed and agreements reached through democracy. However, during their conversation where the topic of the impending threat of the Uchiha was broached by Tobirama, Hashirama noted that he felt as though they were being watched, but Tobirama noted that as he was not moulding chakra at the moment, he had not sensed anything.Naruto chapter 625, pages 1-13 When Hashirama, who was appointed the First Hokage, died, Tobirama was appointed as the Second Hokage.First Databook, page 116 During his reign he was primarily responsible for establishing Konoha's organisational system. He established various organisations such as the Academy, the ANBU, the Chūnin Exams and the Konoha Military Police Force, the latter of which he created as a sign of trust towards the Uchiha who made up the majority of that organisation. The Uchiha, however, would come to believe that this was just an elaborate way to ostracise them from the village, and its government.Naruto chapter 399, pages 12-13 At some point during his era, he and the Second Raikage met to form a formal alliance between Kumogakure and Konohagakure; however, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Kumo's Gold and Silver Brothers, attempted a coup d’etat against them. Tobirama was able to survived in that coup but left him in near death during the fiasco.Naruto chapter 527, pages 4-5 He also trained a three-man team of his own, which consisted of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane.Naruto chapter 122, page 16 In the anime, another one of his students was Kosuke Maruboshi. On one mission during the First Shinobi World War, on which Team Tobirama performed with Danzō Shimura, Kagami Uchiha and Torifu Akimichi, they found themselves surrounded by twenty elite Kumo ninja known as the Kinkaku Force. Tobirama then realised that the only way any of them could escape alive was for one of them to be a decoy and sacrifice themselves; therefore having faith that he had trained his students well, he chose to sacrifice himself after he selected his prized student Hiruzen for the position of Third Hokage. Homura and Koharu would later become Hiruzen's advisers. After giving the title of Hokage to Hiruzen, Tobirama went off to fight the enemies where he presumeably died a noble death.Naruto chapter 481, pages 4-10 Personality Even as a child, Tobirama was a calm, logical, pragmatic, and stoic individual. He was very obedient to his father, as well as loyal towards his clan, but not to the extent where it clouded his judgement, as he was able to envision a rational way for the shinobi clans to achieve peace.Naruto chapter 622, page 11 As a Hokage like his older brother, he felt a great deal of loyalty and devotion to the village, and placed its well-being above all else. He was willing to fight for the sake of his village against both Orochimaru and Sasuke when the latter claimed he is going to destroy the village. Tobirama was also described as being strong-spirited, and passionate. During the First Shinobi World War, Tobirama was also willing to sacrifice himself by acting as a decoy to protect his own comrades. He taught Hiruzen to love the village and protect all those who have faith in him as the next Hokage. More straight-laced than his exuberant brother, Tobirama was a realist who showed little emotions and took things and people for what and who they were, unlike his brother who would prefer to look into potentials in things and people. This was displayed during the First Shinobi World War when he and his small battalion were surrounded by the Kinkaku Squad, Tobirama realised the only way out for his subordinates, and acted accordingly. This was also displayed in his attitude towards the Uchiha whom he believed were almost all intrinsically cursed, based on his knowledge of them, as well as his own personal interactions with them.Naruto chapter 619, pages 7, 10 Such logic-only personality led him to believe firmly in laws above anything else in terms of keeping peace and order, displayed in his youth where he came to the logical conclusion that if the adults wanted to stop the constant wars, all they had to do was create laws and abide by them no matter what.Naruto chapter 622, page 11 Between him and his brother, Tobirama had the more assertive personality, easily being able to talk down his older brother who would sulk and obey his commands.Naruto chapter 619, pages 5-6 Tobirama also cares greatly for the village and, being pragmatic by nature, Tobirama valued peace and balance and owing to his belief in the ability of laws and establishments to keep things in order, tried in his own way to help the Uchiha from falling prey to their curse by placing them in charge of the Konoha Military Police Force, giving them a duty to focus their emotions into, so that history would not repeat itself and create another person like Madara Uchiha.Naruto chapter 619, pages 10-17 Ultimately Tobirama noted that while he was wary of the Uchiha, he held no hatred nor grudge towards them and noted that there were several Uchiha who transcended the mentality of their clan and also placed the well-being of the entire village and peace above all else. Citing his own subordinate Kagami who had inherited the Will of Fire. He went on to note that he actually kept a wary eye on all clans with potentials that threatened to upturn the establishment of the village — noting that this mediation was what predominantly filled his role as Hokage, and that he was especially wary of the Uchiha only because they were exceptionally powerful.Naruto chapter 627, pages 3-4 He was often misunderstood in this respect due to his no-nonsense nature, chiefly by Madara, who thought that Tobirama would eliminate the Uchiha to settle scores as soon as he was made Hokage. In battle, Tobirama can be quite fearsome and merciless witnessed by his intentions to finish Madara off when the latter has already been defeated. Tobirama also has the habit of folding his arms — a trait he's had since his youth. Appearance Tobirama was a tall, fair-skinned man with white, shaggy hair, dark-coloured eyes — depicted as red in the anime — and three red markings on his face — one under each of his eyes, and one on his chin. In most cases, he wore the wartime attire of kin during his lifetime: armour emblazoned with the Senju symbol worn over a simple black suit, with a distinctive white fur collar. This armour was constructed from numerous blue metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body, in particular: chest, waist, shoulders and upper arms. This clothing was accompanied by sandals and a happuri engraved with the Konoha emblem, in the place of the more traditional forehead protector. As a child, his forehead protector bore the Senju clan's emblem.Naruto chapter 623, pages 16-17 Beneath his shoulder armour he wore two bands on each arm. Outside of this outfit, Tobirama wore a simple, short-sleeved, blue shirt kimono with mesh armour underneath and held closed by a pale yellow sash, as well as blue pants and a bracelet of sorts on his left hand. In his youth, he wore a pair of pin-striped pants and shirt which left his arms exposed. He also did not have the markings on his face.Naruto chapter 622, pages 8-9 Abilities As the Second Hokage, Tobirama was an immensely powerful shinobi and was hailed as one of the most powerful shinobi of his era. Naruto chapter 118, page 4 Tobriama has been praised by such powerful shinobi such as his disciple the Third HokageNaruto chapter 620, page 3, Naruto Uzumaki, who is already seen as Hokage worthy, and Sasuke Uchiha, who is one of the most powerful memebers of the Uchiha Clan.Naruto chapter 632, page 6 His power was such that he was able to defeat and ultimately kill Izuna Uchiha,Naruto chapter 624, page 12 who was noted to be as powerful as his older brother. Due to his Senju heritage, Tobirama inherited an extraordinary life force, as well as physical energy. Likewise, his chakra was also shown to be remarkably strong as he was able to crack a wall, by simply placing his hand on it and releasing his chakra through it.Naruto chapter 620, page 10 He was also able to resist the control of Orochimaru's Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation, until the latter used his brother's DNA to strengthen the control.Naruto chapter 620, page 11 Sensory Perception Aside from his battle prowess, Tobirama was also a very gifted sensor ninja since childhood. By simply touching the ground with his index finger, he could detect the presence and number of enemy shinobi.Naruto chapter 481, page 4 He was even able to detect Madara Uchiha's chakra on the battlefield some ways off.Naruto chapter 620, page 8 His sensory skills were such, that he was also able to determine how Orochimaru's new body was made almost entirely from Hashirama's cells.Naruto chapter 620, page 11 He also used this ability along with tracking skills in order to follow a target undetected.Naruto chapter 623, page 11 Tobirama's chakra-sensing was so accurate that other than being able to cover a wide distance, he was also even able distinguish different chakra by clan, as upon sensing Karin, he determined she was an Uzumaki.Naruto chapter 627, page 12 Ninjutsu Space–Time Ninjutsu Tobirama was also very skilled in the use of Space–Time Ninjutsu. He was able to use the Flying Thunder God Technique with great enough aptitude that Tobi's use of Kamui shocked Minato Namikaze when he realised that he was more adept at the use of Space–Time Ninjutsu than Tobirama and himself.Naruto chapter 627, page 10''Naruto'' chapter 502, page 12 Stemming from his use of this technique, Tobirama could also use the Flying Thunder God Slash which incorporated the use of kenjutsu and a sword to teleport to a target instantly and inflict a devastating wound to the enemy in a single blow. Nature Transformation Tobirama was primarily known for his legendary mastery of Water Release. He could perform powerful water-style techniques in areas that lacked bodies of water by creating his own water out of thin air or spewing it from his mouth, and perform some of the most complex water-style techniques, such as the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, with a single hand seal. He could further manipulate his water by isolating areas within it and receding it at will.Naruto episode 71 These, among other reasons, are why he is revered as the greatest known Water Release manipulator in the series.Naruto chapter 120, page 4 In the anime, it is also shown that he can use the Water Release: Water Colliding Wave to attack and cover a large area with water. In areas with water, he can move and stay underwater for a considerable amount of time without detrimental effects. In addition, he can use jets of water to grab hold of his target or pull it underwater, in order to drown it. He could also launch powerful missiles of water which can even pierce rocks. Kenjutsu Tobirama was a practitioner of kenjutsu since childhood, at one point, he was seen wielding a sword against Madara's younger brother, Izuna Uchiha. Tobirama was also able to use the Flying Thunder God Slash technique to mortally wound Izuna Uchiha on the battlefield, taking the Mangekyō Sharingan-wielding Uchiha by surprise. In the anime, it was said that he wielded the Sword of the Thunder God, a blade with electrical abilities, and was said to have mastered its use despite the blade's lethal nature.Naruto episode 105 Other Skills During his lifetime, Tobirama created the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation technique;Naruto chapter 521, page 5 however, some time after its creation he labelled it as a kinjutsu.Naruto chapter 118, page 5 Though he did gain renown with this technique that those who were reincarnated with the technique immediately thought it was Tobirama's doing.Naruto chapter 525, page 2''Naruto'' chapter 526, page 17 Tobirama has also displayed a high amount of skill in the area of taijutsu, as well as good teamwork with his elder brother, Hashirama Senju. In the anime, it was shown that he was also a powerful genjutsu user, able to shroud the area in darkness that even the Third Hokage couldn't dispel.Naruto episode 72 He is also adept at using barrier ninjutsu, capable of erecting a Kage-calibre barrier powerful enough to trap the Ten-Tails.Naruto chapter 631, pages 8-9 Part I Invasion of Konoha Arc Both he and Hashirama were reincarnated by Orochimaru, using Impure World Reincarnation, to fight Hiruzen during the invasion of Konoha, although it is later revealed that due to Orochimaru's lack of mastery of this technique Hashirama and Tobirama were not reincarnated with their full powers. While fully aware of what was going on, and saddened that he would have to fight his former student, Orochimaru employed a special seal into the back of their heads to rob Tobirama and his brother of their free will. Hiruzen quickly resolved to kill his masters and used a very powerful fire technique that was easily countered by one of Tobirama's walls of water that was then turned into an attack that was stopped by Hiruzen's own earth wall. During the battle, he demonstrated great teamwork and combination attacks with his brother, forcing Hiruzen to summon Enma for assistance. Hiruzen was however in his old age unable to defeat the two Hokage, as any damage that was done was simply regenerated and was further inhibited by his desire to not hurt either. His soul, along with his brother's, was eventually sealed by Hiruzen when he combined the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and the Shadow Clone Technique to strike both of them at the same time. Before his soul was completely removed, he and his brother apologised to their former student for the trouble they had caused.Naruto chapter 123, pages 11-12 Part II Ten-Tails Revival Arc In Sasuke Uchiha's quest to learn the truth, Tobirama's soul was later freed from inside the Shinigami, and subsequently reincarnated by Orochimaru along with his brother, and his two successors: Hiruzen and Minato using Zetsu's spore clones as sacrifices. Cursing Orochimaru initially, Tobirama and his brother listened on as Hiruzen and Minato explained what had happened. With his arms still crossed, Tobirama looked down the line with his brother at the Yellow Flash questioning who he was, before promptly being shown the haori emblazoned with the title of Fourth Hokage. Not one to be side-swept, Tobirama questioned the ease of use Orochimaru displayed with the technique he had invented only to be told the technique was not a hard one to learn but one which should have never been created. Orochimaru's response led Tobirama to accuse the Sannin of planning to attack the village once again sending Hiruzen into outrage. Later admonishing his brother to be quiet as he spoke, Tobirama later chided the Uchiha clan openly to which Orochimaru contracted that it was Tobirama's fault that it happened in the first place as he gave the Uchiha the Konoha Military Police Force to run and essentially ostracised the Uchiha. Rebuffing this, Tobirama explained the Uchiha clan's greatest curse: the fact that they had a greater love than any other person which if lost would turn into bottomless feelings of despair awakening the Sharingan as a result. He then explained that it was for this reason that he gave them that post so they would have something to focus their emotions on so that the world would not end up with a second Madara, who had suffered the loss of his brother whom he loved more than anything, on their hands. Upon hearing the question posed to his brother and the reason behind it, an enraged Tobirama tells Sasuke that he would not allow him to harm the village and begins raising one of his fingers. Sasuke, Jūgo and Suigetsu all tense up in fear before he and Hashirama have an intense stand-off, as his elder brother told him to lower his finger. Tobirama finally obliged as the Naka Shrine almost collapsed around them. Later told that Madara was on the battlefield, Tobirama sensed and confirmed this which lead him to declare that he was heading to the battlefield. Ignoring Orochimaru's threat to bind him further, Tobirama told the Sannin that his refining of the Impure World Reincarnation was to his own detriment as they had been reincarnated at nearly their full power in life. Tobirama placed his palm on the wall, causing it to break, intending to leave. However, Orochimaru was able to stop Tobirama's movements thanks to having Hashirama's cells. Finally succumbing to his brother's wish to save Sasuke from the impending darkness. Tobirama listened on as Hashirama retold the history he had lived through. With Hashirama's story finished, Tobirama confirmed that indeed many Uchiha had transcended the limitations of their clan such as his subordinate Kagami. Clearing up the misconception that he hated the Uchiha, Tobirama explained his role as the Second Hokage had been to mediate between the various clans and the well-being of the village, and that he kept a wary eye on all clans that posed a threat to the latter's stability. Later, with Sasuke's decision made to protect his brother's sacrifice, Tobirama informed Hashirama, who had instructed him to prepare to transport them, that with Orochimaru binding them, he would not be able to do so. They later made their way out of the Naka Shrine, where a new addition to their group appeared. Answering Hashirama's question he noted that from Karin's chakra, she seemed to be an Uzumaki. Later he was sighing deeply as his exuberant brother directed them to their respective faces on the Hokage Monument; there atop his likeness, Tobirama vowed to stop Madara once and for all. Arriving with the cavalry, Tobirama lauded Minato who had arrived before them for his speed, and skill. When Minato accesses the portion of Kurama's chakra that he had and called Tobirama and Hiruzen to him, Tobirama was once again impressed by Minato's initiative of marking the battlefield. When Minato transports Tobirama to the marked location to his designated location, Tobirama and the other Hokage use the Four Red Suns Battle Encampment barrier to trap the Ten-Tails. After his brother added an extra measure of restraint, Tobirama and the others prepared their counter-attack on the beast. Legacy As the Second person to hold the title of Hokage, Tobirama noted that his role was to sustain society during the period of time where persons who initially belonged only to clans and thought of only the well-being of their own kinsmen, had to start thinking collectively of the village as a whole instead of just their own interests. Because of this, he had to keep an eye on clans that posed a threat to the village, such as the Uchiha amongst others.Naruto chapter 627, page 4 He was known for building Konoha's infrastructure and revolutionising the ninja system on a whole by establishing organisations such as the Academy, and ANBU: institutions and organisations adopted by most if not all of the Five Great Shinobi Countries as well as smaller ones. He also believed greatly in the Will of Fire and putting the good of the village above all else, beliefs which he passed on to the next generation. Tobirama also set up the Konoha Military Police Force and assigned the Uchiha to it as a sign of trust. He in fact knew how unwieldy the Uchiha's emotions were and sought to have them focus their efforts of a single, constant goal all the while protecting the village as well. This, however, actually contributed to the Uchiha's demise as some came to see it as a means to ostracise them from the rest of the village and its governance and eventually led to the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Tobirama was also responsible for the creation of the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation technique, which was used firstly by Orochimaru in his effort to destroy Konoha and later heavily relied on by Kabuto Yakushi during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Inadvertently, however, this had the reciprocal effect of having the dead make amends for the wrong they did during their life, the Fourth Kazekage and his son Gaara being prime examples. As a whole, Tobirama is still revered as a powerful shinobi, and trail-blazing Hokage. Video Games Trivia * means 'the space between two doors'. are seen as the access to progress and improvement which alludes to his role as the Hokage that built up Konoha's infrastructure. '扉' is also used to refer to title pages, tying in with the Hokage title, as a Hokage is as representative for the village as the title page is for a book. * Tobirama, along with Hashirama, Minato, and the Konoha symbol, had his face appear in the ending omake of Shippūden episode 129 within the fireworks. * According to the databook(s): ** His favourite words were . * In many of the games they are present in, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju bear each others respective English voice actors, with Hashirama being voiced by Peter Lurie, and Tobirama being voiced by Jamieson Price. Quotes * (To Hashirama and Itama) "Grown-ups are idiots. If they really want to bring an end to this endless fighting, they need to sit down with one another and reach a truce…"Naruto chapter 622, page 11 * (To Hiruzen) "Listen Saru. Guide the people, and believe in them, for it's from among them that one will come who will carry on when your time is done."Naruto chapter 123, page 14 * (To Hiruzen) "Saru, you must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up to those to whom you can entrust the next generation… from tomorrow, you will be the Hokage…!"Naruto chapter 481, page 9 * (To Sasuke) "My brother believed that the village was was something that demolish the boundaries between clans. Well in the end it wasn't that simple… My brother was too soft… and Madara too dangerous… My role as Second Hokage was to mediate between them while protecting and reinforcing the village."Naruto chapter 627, page 4 References de:Tobirama Senju es:Tobirama Senju he:טוביראמה סנג'ו ru:Тобирама Сенджу